Pastor, Air Force, Navy Personnel Arrested Over Alleged Plot To Kidnap Bishops’ Wives

The Plateau State Police Command has arrested a pastor and two serving military personnel over an alleged plot to kidnap the wives of two prominent bishops in Jos, the state capital.

According to a report by SaharaReporters, the suspects were arrested after the police received intelligence about an alleged criminal conspiracy and a foiled attempt to abduct the women.

The incident reportedly occurred at about 2:10 p.m. on Friday, August 7, 2026.

SaharaReporters identified one of the suspects as 42-year-old Rev. Hassan Yunisim Mijah, a resident of Tudun Wada in Jos North Local Government Area.

The report, citing information provided by security analyst and counter-insurgency expert Zagazola Makama, said Mijah allegedly conspired with Sgt. Ezra Sunday, a Nigerian Air Force personnel, and OS Usman Khalid of the Nigerian Navy to kidnap the wives of Bishop Ephraim Gongden and retired Bishop Benjamin Kwashi.

The two military personnel are reportedly attached to Sector 1 of Operation ENDURING PEACE (OPEP) in Jos, a joint security operation established to maintain peace and tackle criminal activities in Plateau State.

According to Makama’s account, the two bishops reside in the Rantya area of Jos South Local Government Area, where the alleged targets are believed to have connections.

The police reportedly acted on intelligence about the suspected kidnapping plan and launched an operation led by the Commander of the Vigilance and Criminal Response Unit (VCRU).

The operation resulted in the arrest of the three suspects, who were subsequently taken into custody for questioning.

The police reportedly said the suspects confessed to their alleged involvement during interrogation.

“On interrogation, suspects confessed to the crime,” the police was quoted as saying.

The command also reportedly informed the leadership of Operation ENDURING PEACE about the arrest of the two military personnel attached to the operation.

The alleged involvement of serving personnel from the Nigerian Air Force and Nigerian Navy has added a new dimension to the case, particularly because the alleged targets were family members of prominent Christian clerics.

However, the police have not indicated that the suspects have been convicted of any offence.

Investigations are reportedly continuing to establish the circumstances surrounding the alleged conspiracy and determine whether other individuals were involved.

Authorities are also expected to establish whether the suspects acted independently or were allegedly working as part of a wider criminal network.

Sources: SaharaReporters; Zagazola Makama.